TEST DRIVE MEME ⚔️️ 17

[avalonmods]

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⚔️️ View Top-Levels Only ⚔️ IMPORTANT NOTE 1: For the month of March, magic is acting unstable! Magic fuck-ups are at least twice as likely to happen, so new characters may find it harder to do basic magic.  IMPORTANT NOTE 2:The sky is not normal anymore! The calamity is visible in the sky as of February's event.

A ⦿ Soaking in Your Arrival KERPLUNK, SPLASH! Regardless of what you were in the middle of, you and your familiar have been magically pulled into the world of Avalon just above the Bay's chilly waters. After a brief plunge into the Bay, the rush of water filling your ears and soaking up into every creak and crevice of your body, you may need to cough to clear your airways when you rise above the surface. The water is cold, but not enough that you can't handle it on your own. The Lady of the Lake is nearby, but seems to be focusing on coordinating a band of mossatees to help rescue any wayward new arrivals. Mossatees are a special Avalonian manatee that is green in color and has what appears to be a patches of grass or other short plant life growing on its back. While some are fully green, others sport small flower blossoms that haven't yet grown in or various types of mushrooms. Green mages will be able to note that the plants growing on its back seem to give off "surfer dude" personalities.
If anyone tries to ask the Lady of the Lake for directions, she will direct you to Archimedes at the Rent-a-Ride. Those with animal magic may get their info from the mossatees, though may notice that they're really overly friendly and have zero concept of personal boundaries. Everyone may notice they have no concept of personal space, as they will happily run right into someone's belly for a snoot squishing. The shores themselves are littered with new arrivals complaining their way up a staircase carved into the walls of the White Cliffs. There is no railing, so be careful, but if you do fall, be prepared for a mysterious sand hand to reach out of the side of the cliffs to catch you. The hand will pat you atop the head twice before retreating back into the wall. This is the Cliff Beast; despite the name, he is quite friendly.

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B ⦿ The Caravan to Camelot

Once everyone is wrangled up to the top of the White Cliffs, the handsome owner of the Rent-a-Ride, Archimedes, will distribute smart phones and a pair of ear buds and tell them to "Check the Shit Box." The "Shit Box" refers to wardrobe more formally known as the Wardrobe of Finding, a hammerspace-like wardrobe that opens to each person's items and pets when the person touches the handle. From there, Archimedes directs everyone to settle in groups into modernized carriages pulled by horses and gives them a basic explanation of why and how they've been brought to Avalon: The rest of the universe is frozen in time and your character has been brought here by a familiar that was able to bond with them. They'll have to learn magic to help save their own world from destruction, but first they've got to get them to Camelot. It is here that you have the first opportunity to decide who they will be in their new home. You'll have about an hour to wander around here, meet and greet, and pet the horses before it's time to go.

These carriages use fae technology that combats weight, so your character will be able to get in regardless of whether they're light as a feather or weigh two tons. The carts have air conditioning when it's hot, heating when it's cold, and a mystical shield to protect from bugs. There is also a mini-bar that pops out of the console, with a special feature for warm winter drinks like hot apple toddy and butter beer. Characters can use their smartphones to connect to Camelot's internet service, avalononline (AOL), to chat with other characters, watch dumb videos, learn about the world, contact Camelot Support (they'll answer any questions they can for you, from how to use a smart phone to where to find quests and resources to learn more about your magic). Be careful if you decide to use your phones while in the caravan-- if you don't use those earbuds and start forcing everyone to listen to your nonsense, Archimedes may make you walk.

---

C ⦿ The Red Spring

The journey from the White Cliffs to the City of Camelot is a long one, and the first evening you arrive you'll end up spending at the Red Spring, a booming resort town. Newcomers get free inn rooms for their one night stay on the way to Camelot, containing two twin beds, a bathroom, a mini-fridge and microwave, and a TV equipped with a couple of entertaining video games and movies. Don't want to relax in the room? Take a dip in the communal hot spring. The waters have restorative properties that help horses and travelers recover quickly. It is known to relieve stress, improve energy levels, and mildly accelerate healing. It may be a little chilly when you get out though, so make sure you don't slip rushing back indoors when you get out! The springs are also home to a large training grounds just outside town limits, but... Hm....

---

When everyone arrives it seems like during the siege on Camelot the training grounds were absolutely trashed!

A ⦿ gArBo HuNgErS
	With everyone focusing on recovering Camelot main and the bulk of the resort facilities at the Red Springs, the training grounds at the Red Springs have gone a little neglected.. at least enough to be taken over by a band of local decay sprites. Now, these fairies aren't what they sound- they're not dead, they're little garbage sprites. Perfectly harmless, they often go around picking up trash from natural habitats. They look like garbage bags and bins with googly eyes.  However, the Red Springs's magical attributes combined with magic going a little haywire have caused them to go a little off. Right now, their googly eyes are flashing angry colors that should come with a seizure warning straight out of an old Disney cartoon. They're not just picking up trash, they're eating everything!
What's more, they grow in size each time they eat something new, so some of them are already big enough to swallow an orc! Don't worry, the trash goes into a hammerspace to decay over a long period of time, so if you get swallowed, there's still a chance for someone to get you out... which they can do by fighting the decay sprite. Decay sprites can suck things up similarly to Kirby, though they do not gain your powers, so finding a way to keep your feet on the ground with magic should be your first step. Beware though, defeated sprites will spin in a circle and fall over, and everything they've eaten will spill out onto the ground... so you're going to have to clean it up yourself.

---

B ⦿ Slightly Shabby
The state of Camelot isn't exactly great when everyone arrives. It's been ravaged by siege. Things are broken, scattered, and though many of the buildings are still standing, most people are focused on things like taking care of kids, rebuilding, or rerouting the new arrivals since the inn is not available right now. The castle rooms are already pretty full of people whose homes got trampled during the siege, so new arrivals are going to have to find their own place to live. Thankfully, some tag-alongs who came down from Nicnevin with the Elphame traders have got the solution! It's the Wink-Wonk Dream-Donk: a ball you can press the button on and it will suck you inside for a state of stasis! Good dreams guaranteed! Side effects that the mystery helper doesn't mention are that you can't get out on your own, someone else has to press the button, and you'll have warm, vaguely submissive, fuzzy,
kinda clingy feelings toward anyone who lets you out. Though acting on it can be fought with strong enough willpower, it's certainly going to get you and a stranger much closer than you planned a lot faster. It looks like you may have gotten caught up in some kind of dark web experimental product... oops.

---

The start of the month begins with the usual March rituals like the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies before flowers start to bloom throughout Avalon. Once things start to get cleaned up, some Camelot citizens think of ways to get Camelot back to its normal glory.

A ⦿ Running of the Moon Rabbits
Doing the Lesser Banishing of Frost Fairies often attracts Moon Rabbit kits. These friendly small rabbits do eat a lot though, and it's important right now that the youngin's are nourished without depleting Camelot's food stores.  Thankfully, the Moon Rabbit Kits love to play tag. So throughout Camelot, people have started playing a massive game of tag. The rabbits will chase you around, so the goal is to chase people and head out toward the Broceliande to get the Moon Rabbit kits out to nature where they're intended to be. Per Camelot rules, if you're touched by someone's magic it is considered as being tagged-- so hands or spells will count as a tag.. just be careful, magic is a little unbalanced right now! Be careful not to step on any of the little rabbits while you run!

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B ⦿ Eggxacting
	With the streets clearer and Camelot finally starting to look more like its former self (albeit a little sparser) a culinary wizard has taken to trying his hand at a kind of magic that should help to quickly decorate the city and encourage floral growth. Using a wild combination of animal magic and green magic, the wizard created a special brand of eggs he's calling Oeufs de fleurs. He's selling them for a low price (hey, he does need to bring in some income to afford his expenses) for everyone and new arrivals get half a dozen OdF eggs for free! Just make sure that you follow the directions and there won't be a problem! The directions included with each pack of eggs states: 1. Blue eggs should only be thrown at night. 2. White eggs should only be thrown at day. 3. Do not eat them. More information is available on the chef's Instagram page, of course, but that's all that's included. The further information lets you know that blue eggs are
photosensitive and will turn into bear firs if thrown during the day, but if used correctly will blossom into moonflowers at night. The white eggs react to the moon and will grow into 60 foot tall trees if you throw them at night... but if you're throwing them during the day, they will become beautiful morning glories that only blossom during the light. Lastly, foolishly eating a flower egg is known to result in latent hanahaki disease. If you don't love someone now, this may appear at any point in the future when it does happen. It can only be cured by a skilled green mage. These eggs do expire, so make sure you use them by the end of the month!

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• All test drive prompts are open to anyone in the game at any time to create your own logs with, as the events within are considered game canon. • This post should have top-levels by potential new characters only. Current characters may reply to any threads and may start their own logs off-post, but should not top-level comment on this post. • If your application is accepted, you may accept TDM threads as game canon as long as both players consent. Characters may begin threading as soon as their journal is accepted to the communities. •If nothing here tickles your fancy, try one of this month's Quests for your TDM prompt. • The first "Arrival" prompts are usually present on every TDM, but contain seasonal tweaks for flavor. All other prompts will change monthly. • Questions about this TDM's content? Comment here! If you have a question about the game at-large, please head over to the FAQ.

Comments

[toasterdevotion]

[ A long time... Aigis' eyes widen a bit, but now that she's getting a proper look at her... she does look a little older.

She clings more tightly to Kotone in this position... ]

A long time... Kotone-san, how long have you been here...?

[ How much has she missed? ]

[foolaround]

[ like this, it's hard not to remember those slow afternoons while the end loomed in the horizon, as aigis began to open up more and more to the world around her and kotone's deep crush had blossomed into something more. she closes her eyes at the question and takes a breath, before looking at her again. ]

A year. [ she says it quietly. ] I haven't really made the most of it.

[toasterdevotion]

[ It had all been so much for her back then... when her emotions started growing so quickly. It's thanks to Kotone guiding her through and helping her that she managed to understand. Kotone had always been important to her... before and after Ryoji.

Those feelings were strong from the beginning, and they simply grew from there into the love she now feels today. ]

A... a year...?

[ A whole year... in a way, she's happy. That means that Kotone has had a whole year more of life...

But she feels a pain in her chest. A year of time where she wasn't at Kotone's side... a year's worth of missed time. ]

A year... I've missed so much...

[foolaround]

Hey...

[ kotone stops walking and turns, cupping aigis's face in both hands. ]

It's not your fault. And we can make up for it, now. I don't know how long we have, but... we'll be together. Okay?

[toasterdevotion]

Kotone-san...

[ Ahh, the gesture makes her feel all warm and fluttery... she brings up her own hands to cup Kotone's hands, and she can't help but smile. ]

Yes, of course...!

[foolaround]

[ her heart soars at the sight of that smile. kotone can't help mirroring it, slipping forward to steal a quick kiss.

something does occur to her, though, and she pulls back to hurriedly go through her pockets for her phone. there! what time is it—oh she didn't come home last night. okay.

that's gonna be an issue. she winces, scrolling past the texts and missed calls, before ringing up yukari on a voice call. she tenses up a little nervously, lips pressing into a line. ]

This is gonna be baaaad...

[piercedyourheart]

[ the missed texts, calls, and voicemails run the gamut from annoyed to frantic. unlike kotone, the persona 3 haus have not had very good dreams. if they've slept at all which, if the time stamps from throughout the night mean anything, neither yukari nor mitsuru did.

the voice that greets kotone on the second ring is clipped and on the verge of several different emotions at once. ]

Kotone? Where are you?

[foolaround]

[ yeah she didn't even listen to the voicemails though she... will later and feel guilty about last night all over again. she winces at the sound of yukari's voice, standing close enough to aigis for her to hear without putting the call on speaker. this is definitely not going to go great.

kotone's initial impulse to try to defuse this by going overly light gets forced down. that's a great way to get yukari even angrier. ]

Yukari, hey. I'm sorry for just disappearing—I think I'm in the park?—it's... I'm on my way home, I can explain when I get back. I didn't want to scare you guys like that.

[piercedyourheart]

[ the silence on the other end is palpable. kotone being contrite about her disappearance is doing a lot to take the edge off yukari's anger, she needs a moment to collect herself. shakily: ]

Why don't you give me the short version of what happened while you're on the way. [ it's phrased as a question, but the implication is very much not a request. ] And then we can hear the long version when you're here.

Because.... God, Kotone we were so worried about you, you.... [ another pause and this time her voice finally cracks under the pressure, ] You idiot.

[toasterdevotion]

Yukari-san...?

[ Aigis recogized the voice on the other end immediately, though she was waiting for a time to cut in. She's not sure if this is the best time, but...

Surprise? ]

[foolaround]

[ kotone had been nodding along, about to answer. right, yeah, that's a fair ask. she feels her chest tighten at how obviously upset yukari sounds at the end, but then—

well, cat's out of the bag with aigis talking. kotone sighs, then turns on video. there she is, with aigis looking over her shoulder. with her free hand splayed towards her, in an awkward tone like she's not sure what comes next: ]

Um. Surpriiiise...?

[piercedyourheart]

[ surprise!!!!!

yukari flips on the camera and instead of anger, there's just utter bewilderment. frustration and relief are there, as well, but mostly just. oh my god. what the hell. ]

Aigis? When did you--How long have you--

[ there's movement on the other side of the camera as yukari walks through the house, pinching the bridge of her nose with her free hand. she thought migraines from stress were a myth, but nope! not only are those real, she is developing one at a very fast pace.

she opens a door and points the camera so that mitsuru is now visible on camera. ]

Mitsuru, please talk to them. [ with that, she hands off the phone to collapse on the nearest couch and bury her face into a pillow. ] Because if I do, I am going to lose it.

[kirijo]

"Them?"

[ Mitsuru sounds confused, glancing off-camera towards Yukari before her attention turns to the phone. ]

Is that Kotone?

[ Her voice, like Yukari's before, is riding the line between several emotions - chief among them hope, concern, and irritation. As she approaches the camera, it quickly becomes clear from the faint bags underneath her eyes that she's running on little sleep, if any. ]

Do you have any idea how worried we've been?

[ The world briefly blurs into indistinct shapes as Mitsuru accepts the phone from Yukari, turning it around to face her. ]

We've been attempting to contact you all night, where have you be--

[ Mitsuru stops. Worry and anger smooth out into plainfaced surprise and stupefaction as she finally sees the screen. ]

Aigis ...?

[toasterdevotion]

Ah, hello Mitsuru-san! I have recently 'arrived' as I have been told.

[ So she says, leaning over Kotone's shoulder. ]

I have also reunited with Kotone-san. I found her in a ball that was being advertised as a form of miniature housing and pleasant sleep.

[ It really hasn't been long since Aigis last saw Mitsuru or Yukari... even if the same can't be said by them. In any case, it's clear they were—rather reasonably—worried about Kotone's whereabouts... so isn't it only right that she completely rats Kotone out provides a report? ]

It appears however that those who enter cannot leave until released by another.

[foolaround]

[ oh bye yukari. she braces for being scolded as mitsuru takes over, and then... she gasps dramatically, hand over her chest, turning to stare mock-aghast at aigis. ]

Selling me out, Aigis? So that's how it is... [ she lets out a long-suffering sigh, before pressing her lips to the robot's cheek. ]

Yeah, so, um. Heh, I guess I fell for a scam? I would've been in there even longer if she hadn't found me...

[ her expression softens a little. ]

I'm really sorry I scared you two! I called as soon as I saw how long it'd been.

[piercedyourheart]

[ yelled from off camera because she is not getting off this couch for anything: ]

A scam?! You were supposed to be gone for just an hour!

And you better be sorry! [ said lovingly despite the circumstances. ]

[kirijo]

[ Mitsuru sees that little display of affection between them and a few different emotions bubble up all at once.

[ She's relieved, of course, to know that Kotone is safe. She's delighted to see Aigis here, as well ... to reunite with another friend who she hadn't seen in far, far too long. However, she knows that the joy she feels is nothing compared to the joy that the two of them must be feeling in this moment, and knowing that they're happy makes her happy too.

[ But there's something else there. A slight tightness in her chest that she can't quite indentify.

[ Whatever it is, she doesn't get a chance to pin it down and examine it. Yukari calls out from the couch, dragging Mitsuru's focus away from that errant thought and back to the moment at hand.

[ She briefly looks off camera, smiling fondly and shaking her head before her attention shifts back to Kotone and Aigis. ]

We accept your apology, and we're very, very glad to know that you're safe ... I have further questions, of course, but for now, all that I ask is that you be more careful in the future.

[ At the very least, call them if you're getting up to something potentially sketchy. Please.

[ To Aigis specifically: ]

It's good to see you, Aigis. I trust that Kotone has already extended an invitation to live with us for the duration of our stay here in Avalon?

[toasterdevotion]

Ah, yes, of course!

[ Even if she hadn't, she assumed that it was a given... and let's be real here, even if she were told not to live with them for some inimaginable reason... well...

Aigis has a track record of not caring and doing whatever she wants in regards to Kotone anyway. So it's really not even a matter of choice no matter what anyone says.

You cannot escape Aigis. ]

I apologize for my absense, however... hearing that you all have been here for a whole year was... surprising.

[ Heck, for her it was still only recently that she began living with Yukari as her dorm-mate. ]

[foolaround]

[ kotone smiles at mitsuru, even as her brows knit in concern over how the two of them have obviously stayed up. ]

Okay, um... we should be there in twenty minutes, maybe. Get ready to get some sleep, okay? I'll make up a room for Aigis, so don't worry about that. [ she hesitates, briefly, eyes flicking towards aigis for a split second, before: ] Love you. Both of you. See you soon.

[kirijo]

[ 'Love you. Both of you.'

[ A brief flicker of surprise crosses Mitsuru's face.

[ She ... she hadn't been expecting Kotone to openly acknowledge their relationship in front of Aigis so immediately. Frankly, she had no idea what to expect, or how they'd even begin to navigate this situation. She's barely had time to process Aigis's arrival, much less whatever implications her presence might have on the relationship that the three of them have built.

[ Perhaps that was what that tightness in her chest had been ... fear of what it might mean. Of how things might change between them -- all of them.

[ Seeing Kotone simply wade right in ...?

[ It was reassuring. A sign that Kotone didn't want things to change between them, and that she had faith that nothing would.

[ There was a part of Mitsuru that still pushed back against that idea - that rejected it as something too neat and tidy and painless to fit within the lives they've lived up to this point ...

[ ... but she had promised that she wouldn't let fear or doubt come between them again.

[ The surprise fades, and she smiles. ]

I'll try to do a bit of preliminary setup before you arrive, though I fully intend to sleep once you've returned.

[ A beat. ]

I love you too.

[toasterdevotion]

[ Aigis' eyes widen a bit when Kotone says that... and when Mitsuru says it back, but... ]

I will see you both soon, then. You need not worry too much about my arrangements yet if you require sleep, though. I will be fine.

[ She... takes it completely in stride, not bothered in the slightest. What's more important is that they get whatever amount of rest they missed, rather than worrying about Aigis. She knows she probably can't stop them from trying, but she doesn't exactly need a comfortable sleeping position that badly. ]

[foolaround]

[ the utterly casual reaction aigis has to it isn't a huge surprise, but still, it makes kotone smile, and she shifts over to nuzzle at her a little. ]

You're gonna be comfy and you're gonna like it, Aigis.

[ she grins as she pulls away, expression settling into a soft smile as she looks back to the camera. ]

And good, make up all that beauty sleep you missed. Back soon. Byeeee! [ and with a little wave, it's off. she stows her phone again and links arms with aigis, leaning against her a little as they walk. ]

This way. [ if aigis has questions... she has a feeling she'll ask on her own. ]

[toasterdevotion]

[ Being comfy wasn't a concern for her, but she appreciated it anyway. Still, she does have questions that are more worth asking at this point. ]

So... I presume from the way you spoke with Mitsuru-san that you have pursued a relationship with her and Yukari-san during your time here?

[ She had only ever heard her use 'Love' that way with her, after all. ]

[foolaround]

Um... [ she actually catches herself reddening, glancing away. ] Yeah. Not since the start, but... for a while now.

[ kotone seeks out aigis's hand, squeezing it. ]

You're... okay with it, right? [ it seems that way, but... she wants to hear it from her. ] I don't... want it to change anything between us. You mean too much to me for that.

[toasterdevotion]

[ She tilts her head at the question, but squeezes Kotone's hand back. ]

Hm? Of course, why wouldn't I be?

[ Of course, if it were somebody outside of SEES... someone she didn't know well, she'd be uneasy... but this is Yukari and Mitsuru. She's always been able to see how much they cared about Kotone. Ending up in this kind of relationship wasn't only something Aigis expected, but it's something that she considered ideal for all of them. ]

Though...

[ She does look down a bit... ]

When I think about how much I must have missed while you were with Yukari-san and Mitsuru-san, I believe I feel... somewhat sad.

[ It all circles back around to her arrival being so late and how much she's missed. She doesn't feel jealous about Mitsuru and Yukari loving Kotone or anything, but... she wishes she hadn't missed out on loving Kotone just as much in that time.

And at that, she'll then move from squeezing Kotone's hand to clinging to her arm instead. ]